The present invention relates to cut sheet paper-feeding mechanism and more particularly to such a mechanism which will pick and feed individual sheets of paper from a vertically oriented pack into a print mechanism located below the pack.
The present invention is an improvement of the paper feed mechanism described in a co-pending, co-assigned application by Frank Pensavecchia et al. entitled Vertical Stand-Alone Printer, filed July 11, 1985, Ser. No. 754,068 now abandoned. The disclosure of said co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference.
In developing a low cost stand-alone printer having a small footprint suitable for use with currently available personal computers, a need has arisen for a very simple and yet reliable paper feed mechanism which will reliably feed single sheets of paper from a vertically oriented pack. The present invention provides such a paper feed mechanism allowing paper to be easily introduced into the printer by means of a vertically oriented bin, without requiring a movable or spring-loaded backplate or a movable or spring-loaded corner retainer such as are required by many prior art cut sheet paper feed devices.
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a cut sheet paper feed mechanism which will reliably feed individual sheets of paper from a vertically oriented paper pack to a printing mechanism located below the pack; the provision of such a mechanism which is of very compact construction; the provision of such a mechanism which does not require a spring-loaded backplate for the pack; the provision of such a mechanism which does not require movable or spring-loaded retainers for buckling the sheets being fed; the provision of such a mechanism which is highly reliable; the provision of such a mechanism which requires very few parts; the provision of such a mechanism which is easily assembled and which is of very low cost. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.